On Tuesday, March 19, hundreds of Copts came to 'Izbat al-Nasārá in the village of Minbāl of al-Minya Governorate to be blessed by the oil that flows from Virgin Mary's icon. According to a Christian man, Copts from all ages and backgrounds arrived at the village to witness the painting. He explains that the village has become a shrine for all Copts. A number of visiting Copts have emphasized that the oil is holy; they are rejoicing it and have stated that it is a miracle that has come at a time in which something spiritual was needed.
In a different development, due to the absence of a law to build houses of worship, the village of Abū al-‘Abās in the north of the Governorate of al-Minya has seen a new case of sectarian attacks. Expansions of the church have encouraged Muslims of the village to surround the church, forcing its officials to stop construction.
Approximately 150 Muslims protested opposing the destruction of the wall of the adjacent house in order to annex the land to the church. The police contained the situation and forced an agreement between the two sides (Muhammad al-Zahrāwī, al-Tahrīr, Mar. 22, p. 9). Read original text in Arabic.
